You are here

Public Health

Antibiotics are failing when doctors, nurses, and other health professionals need them most. Major restaurants can help save these lifesaving antibiotics by pushing suppliers to stop overusing them, as McDonald’s and Subway committed to do this year. That’s why almost 600 health professionals - including 94 from Massachusetts - signed onto a letter urging more major restaurant chains to serve only meat not raised on routine antibiotics.

In 2015, bolstered by the support of more than 100,000 members and supporters, we convinced both McDonald’s and Subway to take action to protect public health. In March, just two days after we delivered more than 30,000 petitions to McDonald’s headquarters, the company announced that they would stop serving chicken raised on medically-important antibiotics. And in October, after more than 100,000 called on the chain to take action, Subway announced a similar policy for all the meat they serve.

I am excited to announce that, yesterday, Subway announced plans to transition all of their meats to be antibiotic-free. As the largest fast food chain on the planet, Subway is poised to drive real change in the industry and help keep antibiotics working for future generations.

While we’re lucky to live in a state and country with standards, regulations and state and federal agencies charged with the protection of our health and safety, we have a big problem where toxics are concerned. Read our testimony in favor of disclosing more information about toxic products, banning certain chemicals in consumer products, and promoting the use of alternative, healthier products to replace such things as toxic cleaning products.

A letter signed by nearly 60 public interest, medical, public health, environmental and animal welfare organizations was delivered to Subway Founder and CEO Fred DeLuca and Senior VP Suzanne Greco today, asking the restaurant giant to phase out meats produced with routine use of antibiotics (i.e. for growth promotion and disease prevention). As the largest fast-food chains in the world, Subway’s action on this issue would help tackle the growing health crisis of antibiotic resistance.